Gut-friendly Nutrition: Eatin... Video Transcript

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There's also grains, like quinoa and buckwheat that are very high in protein as well.

ANNOUNCER: And finding the right balance of fats.

LYNN GOLDSTEIN, MS, RD: The fats that are harmful to us are saturated fat and trans fatty acids. Saturated fat is found in animal products: butter, lard, and, basically, anything that's solid at room temperature is a saturated fat; it's a good rule of thumb.

Trans fatty acids are the fatty acids found in margarine, in vegetable shortening and most of our processed products like cookies, cakes, crackers. Most of the processed foods tends to have trans fatty acids in them and they act like saturated fats in the system as well and are both promoters, both for obesity, which is a cancer risk, and for cancer itself.

Unsaturated fatty acids, the monounsaturated fatty acids and the polyunsaturated fatty acids are the healthy ones. Those are the ones that our body really needs to function naturally.

Unsaturated fat is anything typically liquid at room temperature, so your oils. Olive oil, canola oil, safflower oil. The only exceptions to this rule would be palm and coconut oil and those two are saturated fats.

The other ones are essential fatty acids such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acid is found mostly in fatty fish like salmon or mackerel. It's also found in certain plant sources like flaxseed and walnuts. It's a natural anti-inflammatory in our system. And, most recently, it's been studied for its effect on colon cancer.

ANNOUNCER: It's best to get nutrients from food, but certain gut-friendly vitamins and minerals can be found in multivitamins.

LYNN GOLDSTEIN, MS, RD: Especially women don't take in enough calcium from food. So I usually recommend a supplement. For women, for ages 19 to 50, the amount is 500 milligrams twice a day and, over 50, 600 milligrams twice a day, for supplementing with calcium.

Most calcium supplements also have vitamin D, because vitamin D increases the absorption of calcium, which is why we think it helps. But you'll find most calcium supplements have at least 200 IUs of vitamin D within them.

ANNOUNCER: Eating a balanced diet is hard work. You have to be mindful of what you put on our plates at all times.

LYNN GOLDSTEIN, MS, RD: The biggest mistake people make about their diet when considering colon cancer health or GI health is that they don't eat enough fruits and vegetables. We eat a lot of meat, we eat a lot of processed food, we eat a lot of fast food, but we really limit our intake of fruits and vegetables.

ANNOUNCER: But turning your diet into a gut-healthy one is possible. Small steps can go a long way.

LYNN GOLDSTEIN, MS, RD: Everybody should be on a gut-friendly diet. I usually tell people get a fruit or a vegetable with every meal and snack. Changing overall your bread products and your pasta products to whole grain versions of those products. Starting your day with a fiber-rich cereal is an easy way to start getting fiber into your diet. Making sure that you're getting enough water, so carrying a water bottle with you or some kind of fluid with you throughout the day. And starting to get some exercise, some movement, just any kind of movement or physical activity, just starting to get yourself more active.

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